


The Best Winter Ball

by StephirothWasTaken



Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [9]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: A bored Noctis, Coming out by accident, Crushes, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Underage Drinking, brotherhood era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21784846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephirothWasTaken/pseuds/StephirothWasTaken
Summary: Noctis hates being forced to attend these official royal parties. Even inviting Prompto doesn't help.During the after-party, Noctis manages to sneak away with Prompto and hopes to finally have some fun.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559509
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't initially intend to break this up into two parts, but I feel like I came across a decent stopping point.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Parties for the Lucis Caelums always had to be an extravagant affair, and Noctis hated it. He loved his father. He loved his friends. He loved his father’s friends. He did not mind some old farts on the Council, but he hated being forced to spend time with them. He hated being forced to endure people trying to schmooze him for some kind of upper hand that he was unable or unwilling to give them.

The food, at least, was some of the best made in the entire country, and for the first time, he got to show it off to someone who had never had anything so extravagant.

Noctis had convinced his father to allow Prompto and his family to the Winter Ball, and besides the food, that was another thing to look forward to. Prompto was not a stuffy noble or desperate businessperson. He was a commoner, and he had never asked anything of Noctis besides friendship.

There was a sharp knock on the bedroom door, and a tall, broad-shouldered man opened the door. His dark blond hair was spiked up in the front. Noctis watched him adjust the glasses sitting in front of his green eyes.

“Noct,” Ignis scolded, “what on Eos is taking you so long? We’ve got to be in the ballroom within the next ten minutes.”

“Specs, this hair takes more than five minutes to do,” Noctis said, pausing in liberally applying hair wax to his black hair to glare at his adviser’s reflection in the mirror. ”Give me a break here.”

“Perhaps if you had not chosen to take a nap for so long before the event, you would have plenty of time to work on it.”

“Whatever.”

“I’ve received a message from security that your friend and his parents have arrived.”

“Already?”

“Yes, unlike you, they appear to be the type who likes to arrive on time.”

“They’re not _on time_! They’re way too early!”

“I agree that it’s early, but I still think you could learn a lesson from the Argentums.”

Noctis huffed, but he finished working on his hair with no more complaints. Ignis took a few minutes to adjust his princely raiment to perfection. Then he ushered him out the door. An even taller and muscular man stood outside the door, standing with his arms folded across his massive chest. He looked about ready to bust out of the suit.

“Are you finally done, Princess?” Gladio gruffed.

“You spend longer getting ready than I do.”

“Yet I still got done in time.”

“Well, nobody has the time management skills that Specs has.”

“It would surprise you at how easy it is,” Ignis said, “if you just put a bit of effort in, Your Highness.”

The walk to the ballroom from his royal chambers always felt too long. Noctis used to think the Citadel was an amazing place to explore because it was so big, but now that he was a teenager with some responsibilities, it was _too big_. Every important function took too long to get to because the distance between one place he needed to be took several minutes instead of the blissfully few seconds it took for every other building he had ever been inside.

“Stop sulking, Noct,” Gladio said. “You’ve finally convinced your father to invite your friend. That should be enough to make you happy.”

“Why do the royal chambers have to be a mile away from the ballroom?”

“It wouldn’t seem so bad if you would run in the mornings.”

“Makes my knee hurt.”

The ball had not officially started yet, but there was already soft music playing that could be heard down the hall from the ballroom. It must have been one of the live orchestras practicing winter-themed music. Noctis could imagine Prompto sitting at a nearby table watching them with the biggest smile on his face. He was a big enough nerd to be interested in boring orchestras.

The ballroom was dimly lit with strong lights all throughout the room. Servants were scrambling around to light the candles in the center of every table on either side of the massive space. King Regis sat in a large chair clear across the room from the orchestra, and he was leaning to the side as he spoke to his Shield, who sat in a smaller chair right next to him despite being a much larger man.

Noctis looked near the orchestra for a familiar blond head, and just as expected, Prompto was standing near them. His back was turned to him, but he could imagine the goofy look of excitement on his face.

Because Regis was his father, Noctis visited him first. It was hard to see him smile underneath his beard, but crinkled formed around his eyes as he saw Noctis approach him.  
“Ah, Noctis,” he said. “I’m glad you could make it. Your friend has arrived early. He’s quite—how shall I say this? Energetic?”

Noctis chuckled, but he nodded.

“Yeah, that’s one way to describe him. Good to see you, Dad, Clarus.”

“Your Highness,” Clarus returned the greeting, bowing slightly, and he nodded to Noctis’s bodyguards to greet them as well. “Scientia. My son.”

“Sir,” Gladio said, nodding back to his father.

“It would be rude to ignore my guest,” Noctis said as he backed away from the King of Lucis.

Despite it being a much shorter distance, the walk from the royal seats to the orchestra felt like an eternity because he was so eager to talk to him. With Prompto being so engrossed with the orchestra, it was no surprise that his parents were the first to notice him. They stood and bowed to him. Prompto noticed and turned toward him. He grinned, and he lifted his hand in a wave.

“Your Highness!” the elder Argentums said.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Noctis said, trying not to sound as awkward as he felt.

The bowing was something he thought he would never get used to. Prompto had at least gotten out of the habit of it.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Mr. Argentum said, “for inviting us to this event. We are truly honored.”

Prompto’s father was short, much like Prompto, but that was where the similarities ended. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and olive-toned skin that fared better in the sun than Prompto’s pale and freckled skin. His mother was also starkly different with her auburn hair pulled back into a fancy bun, and crinkles formed around her hazel eyes in much the same way Regis’s eyes did as she smiled.

“The honor is mine,” Noctis said.

Prompto walked beside Noctis, and he gave him a light punch in the shoulder.

“Hey, buddy,” he said.

Ignis cleared his throat, and Noctis held back a sigh as he motioned toward his bodyguards.

“Oh, yeah, Argentums, meet Ignis, my soon-to-be official advisor and personal Crownsguard, and Gladiolus, my Shield.”

With Gladio belonging to the second most important house in Lucis, it was considered polite to bow to him, but Ignis, who was not someone officially so important that civilians were required to give him any special greeting, received a bow.

“The food should be here in about an hour,” Noctis said to Prompto’s parents, “so hopefully this place won’t be so boring.”

“Boring?” Prompt repeated incredulously. “This place is amazing! And that orchestra is one of the best in the entire _country_! I was looking them up earlier, and they’re incredible!”

Noctis only shrugged. The only orchestras he really cared about were the ones who made video game music, but he knew that the people who organized royal events hired the best. He listened to them as they practiced, and Prompto’s enthusiasm for it helped him enjoy it more.

“Noctis, it’s time to sit with your father while the rest of the guests come inside,” Ignis warned.

“Right,” Noctis said, and he turned to Prompto and his parents. “I have to go for now, but I promise to sit down with all of you when I can.”

They bowed to him again, and Prompto punched him on the shoulder as he told him not to worry about it.

Noctis walked with his two bodyguards back to the royal seating. Gladio had to sit next to him because it was his duty. Ignis walked away to find his uncle. They probably would not see each other again until the end of the event, and given Ignis’s mother hen tendencies, that was fine with Noctis.

Several Crownsguard all filed into the room, bowing before Regis and Noctis before they took their stations along the walls. The orchestra played a rendition of the official Lucian anthem as people in extravagant gowns and costumes filed into the room. Gladio elbowed Noctis in the side every time he spotted someone in something absurd. One of the most ridiculous was someone scantily clad in a Shiva costume, and someone else arrived covered in snowflakes and ice crystals. Some chuckling from Clarus and Regis told Noctis that they were also poking fun at their guests.

The last of the guests entered the ballroom, taking a seat at the tables around the room. Servants bustled about the room to set up the banquet tables for the guests. Noctis looked for Prompto clear across the room, but with the ballroom filled with people, it was impossible to see him from far away.

Before anyone got up and danced, drank, or ate, everyone was required to listen to Regis’s speech. The King stood in front of a podium. Clarus stood on one side of him while Noctis stood on the other, and Gladio stood behind Noctis. Everyone quieted as they all watched Regis look at them.

Noctis tuned out most of what his father said. His Winter Ball speeches were always the same: love your families, be kind to your neighbors, and strive to make next year a better year. It was his best attempt to be optimistic when the country was struggling to hold its borders while the Niflheim Empire ruthlessly bombarded it.

The crowd clapped when Regis finished his speech, and then everyone could get a plate of food. Noctis waited out the crowd while Regis boldly went up to the banquet table to pile food onto his plate. Regis always tried to take a bit of as many things as he could to show appreciation for the staff’s hard work, and it always took him a while to get it.

“Do you think we can sneak Prompto up here,” Noctis asked Gladio.

“Noct, we’ve already told you the Crownsguard would shit themselves if we let a civilian up here.”

“But the Crownsguard is everywhere already. I don’t see the big deal.”

“The big deal is that you’re the prince, and your dad’s the king. There’s not an official war happening, but there’s still fighting, still a lot of tension. We can’t just let people do whatever they want when it comes to you two.”

“You’ve already done background checks on him and his parents, though, right? And the worst thing that happened was forgetting to pay a parking meter one time. As if millions of people haven’t done that.”

Gladio sighed.

“You’ve already got him coming to the after-party,” he said. “Be happy about that.”

Noctis was happy about that, but he would have _preferred_ to have Prompto sitting with him during the party as well. It was so boring without him.

“Can I at least sit with _them_ for a while?” Noctis asked. “I mean, I’m the one who invited them.”

“In a bit, Noct.”

Noctis could only sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason I had the urge to listen to “RAVUS AETERNA,” and that’s all I listened to while writing this.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! And let me know what you think! Comments, whether praise or criticism, kudos, and subscriptions are all deeply appreciated and give me motivation to keep going even when I’m really struggling to stay focused.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize first that I have no idea what being drunk is like, and it’s probably really obvious in my writing.

Dancing with strange old women had to be the worst part of the Winter Ball. Noctis would sit down and enjoy a delicious meal with his father, who he rarely got to eat meals with these days, and then he would have to get up and dance with the ancient old wives of the men on the Council. Most of them were around his father’s age, but there were a few who were so old that he was afraid that they would break a hip if he accidentally moved too fast for them.

The Council forced Gladio into it, too, but the guy was old enough to drink alcohol now. He could at least drink champagne to help him through it.

The dancing, at least, was the last thing Noctis was expected to do at the Ball. He could dance, and he could eventually slip away and make his way to wherever he wanted as long as Gladio or the Crownsguard had a good visual of him. In previous years, that had been one more trip to the banquet tables for a second helping of dessert, but this year, Noctis would make his way to the Argentums and sit with them just like he had promised.

After Noctis finished dancing with Lord Avem’s ancient grandmother, he gently guided the woman to her seat, and then he slipped behind one of the Crownsguard before someone else could come along and insist he had to dance with someone else. Once he found Mrs. Argentum sitting at their table, smiling as she watched someone in the crowd, he felt his shoulders lower as the tension in his body eased.

“Excuse me,” Noctis said, and Mrs. Argentum looked at him with a smile. “May I join you?”

“Your Highness, of course!” she said, and she bowed in her seat. “Prompto is quite popular this evening.”

Noctis looked into the crowd, and he found Prompto laughing while he danced with an old woman. His footwork was terrible, and Noctis made a mental note to teach Prompto how to dance.

“He’s such a good boy,” Mrs. Argentum said. “I don’t know how in Eos we got so lucky to have him.”

“He’s been a great friend to me,” Noctis said. “I’m grateful to you for taking care of him.”

“Oh, dear, I don’t deserve that. The boy spends entirely too much time alone. Our job has kept us so busy over the years, and he’s such a saint for putting up with us.”

Mr. Argentum appeared at the table with two plates full of as many sweets as possible.

“Ah, Your Highness! Good to see you again.”

“Alba,” Mrs. Argentum said, “you and your damned sweet tooth! The doctor told you to curb your sugar intake!”

“Milly, I have not had sweets in months,” Mr. Argentum said, “and I think I’ve earned a day to indulge.”

“You’ll regret it when you fall ill!”

Noctis kept his eyes on Prompto while the older Argentums teased each other. He wanted to go into the crowd and steal him away, but it was also nice watching him interact with the crowd. Prompto looked so nervous, but he also looked so genuinely happy to be there. It was clear even to Noctis that Prompto enjoyed people, even if it was just as clear that they intimidated him.

Prompto looked over at the table, and his sky-blue eyes met with Noctis’s. A grin spread across his face, and he waved. He gave the people he had been interacting with a small bow, and then he made his way to the table.

“Hey, Noct!” he said as he plopped right next to him.

“You looked like you were having fun,” Noctis said.

“Dude, everyone’s been so nice here! And they’re crazy important! It’s so awesome!”

Noctis forced himself to smile at Prompto, even though he thought most of these people were the opposite of “awesome,” and not just because he thought they were boring. He hoped to protect Prompto from them as much as possible.

Other than the dinner he had shared with his father, Noctis was enjoying himself for the first time that night. Prompto was cheerful and liked most of the same things that Noctis did, and his parents were funny, kind, and gracious.

When Noctis felt the heavy hand of his Shield on his shoulder, he fought the urge to pout.

“Hey, Noct, it’s time,” Gladio said, sounding like he had indulged in a few drinks that evening, and he hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward the King.

“Right,” Noctis said, and he turned back to the Argentums, who all looked at Gladio like he was a charging behemoth. “Ah, my dad gets tired so quickly these days, so I have to go. I was hoping I could take Prompto with me to the after-party. Would that be okay?”

“Of course! Of course!” Mrs. Argentum said.

“Have fun, you two,” Mr. Argentum added, still eating his huge helping of desserts.

Noctis went to grab Prompto’s hand, but then he realized that was a bad idea and changed the trajectory of his hand to Prompto’s arm instead.

“I have to go up there and leave with my dad,” Noctis explained, “but I’ll have a Crownsguard escort you to the after-party, okay?”

“Yeah, sure! Do whatever prince stuff you have to do.”

Noctis went with Gladio back to his father. Regis looked so tired, and his knee looked swollen and painful. He wondered if he could even enjoy the after-party in his condition.  
With some help from Clarus, Regis stood in front of the podium one last time. The King thanked everyone for attending the Ball, and he thanked the many servants and the orchestras, thanking the conductors by name. He apologized for having to leave so soon, but he encouraged everyone to stay for another hour or two. Everyone gave his brief speech a round of applause.

Each with their Shields behind them, the two Lucis Caelums waved at the crowd of people, and they left the ballroom. As soon as they entered the hallway, Noctis felt a weight lift off his chest that he had not realized was there, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Glad it’s over, are we, Noctis?” Regis asked, chuckling.

“Sorry,” Noctis said.

Regis stopped, and he rested a hand on Noctis’s head, tousling his son’s dark hair.

“Don’t worry, my son,” he said. “I understand exactly how boring you find all of this.”

“You should have heard how much your dad used to complain about them when he was your age,” Clarus said. “You’re taking this much better than he had.”

“Really?” Noctis asked, frowning.

“Yes, he was so _whiney_ about it. He hated having to dance with so many old women.”

Noctis laughed because he had been dreading that very thing himself.

The after-party was a much too long walk to a small meeting room in the Citadel. There were already some Crownsguard standing around and a bartender, who bowed deeply as the King and the Prince arrived. The two Shields and the King all went straight to the bar, and Noctis plopped onto the couch by himself with a sigh. He watched the door as he waited for Prompto to appear.

When the blond walked into the room, his eyes were as wide as saucers as he followed the Crownsguard guiding him inside the room, and Noctis could not help the smirk that spread across his face. When Prompto spotted him, his freckled face turned crimson.

“Hey, buddy,” Prompto said as he flopped next to Noctis on the couch.

“Hey.”

“This is way smaller than the Ball.”

“Yeah, a great-great-whatever-grandfather of mine started these little after-parties after the Winter Ball so he could spend time with his family. He had a _lot_ more family to entertain, though.”

“A lot more?”

“A lot more kids, both legitimate and not.”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah. You want to play games?”

Prompto and Noctis were forced to play games only on Noctis’s phone because the Crownsguard forbade guests from bringing cameras and phones. The Crownsguard left to stand outside the doors. With two Shields in the room and only Prompto and the bartender as a potential threat, there was no reason to reason for so much extra security inside the room. The three of-age adults at the bar grew louder and louder as they drank. Eventually, the bartender gave them each a glass of water instead of another glass of alcohol, and he, too, slipped out of the room after locking up the liquor.

Noctis looked at them over his phone. The two older people were sitting at the bar, swaying, and their eyes were glassy. Gladio had clearly had some whiskey himself, but he had held back, letting himself get a little rosy-cheeked but not too unsteady or cloudy-headed. He looked over at Noctis, and he nodded.

Noctis tapped Prompto on the arm, and as Prompto opened his mouth to speak, he tapped his own lips with a finger. Prompto frowned, and Noctis pointed his finger at Gladio.

“Gotta show blondie to the bathroom,” Gladio said to the King and his father, sounding just a little too loud.

Clarus and Regis waved him away, not at all concerned about anything important at the moment.

Gladio stumbled as he stood, but he remained upright as he approached the two teenagers.

“Come on, blondie,” he said.

“Ah, th-thanks, big guy,” Prompto said, sounding as confused as he looked.

Prompto followed Gladio toward the door. He gave Noctis a look over his shoulder, and the Prince held up two thumbs, which served to only perplex the blond further.

Noctis listened to the King and his Shield babble for exactly five minutes before he stood and approached them.

“Hey, I’m going to head to bed,” he said.

“Oh, Noctis, my beautiful boy,” Regis slurred like he had not been looking at his face all day. “You’re going to bed?”

“Yeah, I’m tired.”

“I see. Have a good rest and remember to have breakfast with me before you go back to your little apartment.”

“Yeah. Night, Dad. Night, Clarus.”

“Good night, Noctis,” both of the older men said.

Noctis walked out the same door that Gladio and Prompto had left, despite it not leading toward his chambers. He nodded toward the Crownsguard stationed outside the doors, and they gave him a slight bow and a “Your Highness” as he walked down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell behind on this because I wanted to finish the game I was playing (and I wish I could say it was one that I was enjoying), but now that I am finished with the game, hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with these fics. I don’t want to have to post anything after Christmas.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! And let me know what you think! Comments, whether praise or criticism, kudos, and subscriptions are all deeply appreciated and give me motivation to keep going even when I’m really struggling to stay focused.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I have no experience with alcohol. I had to look up on the Internet what it’s like to drink, but that’s certainly not the same as experiencing it or yourself or hanging with people experiencing with you.

Noctis had spent weeks agonizing over how he would get Prompto alone in the Citadel. He had not wanted to get anyone else involved, but with how tight security could get inside the Citadel, he had realized he would have to beg Gladio to help him. It had worried him that Gladio might think his motives went beyond trying to be a good friend, but he had said nothing about it, never teased him, or never winked at him.

Noctis found them in the room he had asked Gladio to take Prompto. The poor blond’s smile wavered as he looked up at the large man. Given his size and title, Gladio was already a nervous guy, and then Noctis had practically forced him to be alone with his Shield.

“Hey,” Noctis said as he walked up to them.

“Great,” Gladio began, and he clapped a big hand on Noctis’s shoulder. “Now I’ve done my part in this. Don’t you kids do something stupid and get me in trouble.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re not doing anything crazy.”

“And remember the after-party is officially over by two.”

“I know. I know.”

Noctis shooed his Shield out of the room, and Gladio left them alone, shutting the door behind him with a click. The prince turned to Prompto, a smirk spreading across his face.

“So, uh, what’s going on?” Prompto asked, but his face was turning pink, making his freckles stand out more starkly.

Noctis grabbed his hands, and he pulled Prompto closer to him. He pressed his lips to Prompto’s. His lips were soft, softer than his own thanks to his annoying habit of chewing his lips when he was nervous, but he was reluctant to pull away to look at the blond’s face. He was cherry red now.

No matter how many times they kissed, Prompto never seemed to get used to it.

“I have been dying to do that all night,” Noctis said, and he leaned forward to place one more peck to his lips.

“Yeah, me, too,” Prompto said, breathless, and when he smiled, there was no anxiety or fear, just adoration.

It made Noctis’s belly do a flip.

Noctis pulled on Prompto’s hand, and he guided him to the direction of another door.

“Come on. There’s something I wanted to show you.”

“Show me what?”

“You’ll see in a second.”

Prompto followed Noctis out of the room. They entered a long hallway. Just like the rest of the Citadel, it was huge and overly extravagant. If the building was not of great historical significance, he imagined most people would think it was tacky rather than “stunning” and beautiful.

Prompto looked around at everything, but it was not the look of awe that Noctis hoped to find on his boyfriend’s face once they made it to their destination.

Noctis pulled him onto a staircase. He interlaced their fingers together, and Prompt’s eyebrows drew together.

“No one will see us,” Noctis assured, “so no need to worry about causing any sort of scandal.”

Prompto chuckled, and he gave Noct’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“It is nice to get to just hold your hand like this,” he said.

“Yeah, it is.”

“I’m still planning on talking about it to my dad soon, I promise,” Noctis said. “It’s just so hard to get him alone, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Dating was all so new to both of them. They had been friends for a while, and then one day it had hit Noctis that he had found Prompto cute—not just in the friend sort of way he had felt for Lunafreya way back in Tenebrae. He considered Luna a good friend, one of the best, and with Prompto, he always realized he felt a special connection between, but the feeling had been different.

He had been in love with him.

Noctis guided him out of the stairwell, and they made it to an elevator that required a special keycard to open. As soon as the doors closed, Noctis snaked his arm around Prompto’s waist, and he kissed him again, leaning deeper into until Prompto pulled away for breath.

“You’re not taking me to some kind of secret dungeon or something, are you?” Prompto asked, giving a nervous laugh.

“No, no, it’s cool. I promise. You just have to trust me.”

“I do trust you. I’m just not too big on surprises, though, buddy.”

“It’s a _good_ surprise. You’ll see.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Noctis pressed the button for the correct floor, and he fought the urge to press Prompto against a wall and kiss him, especially when Prompto wrapped his own arm around Noctis’s waist, pressing him closer to him. His heart pounded harder and harder in his chest as they drew closer and closer to the place he had in mind for Prompto, and he gave the blond’s hip a gentle squeeze to help ground himself.

The elevator opened with a _ding_ , and Noctis only pulled away to grab Prompto’s hand and pulled him toward their destination. He could feel the thrum of magic here, felt it humming through his veins as it powered the Wall that protected the city of Insomnia. If Prompto could feel it at all, it would only give him goosebumps, but it was also a tad cold there, making it difficult to tell just by looking at him.

“Just this way,” Noctis said. “Prepare to have your mind blown.”

Prompto snorted, but he followed Noctis without hesitation.

Noctis opened a door, revealing a room with floor to ceiling glass windows. They could see the glow of the Wall shimmering over the starry night sky. Snow drifted through the Wall and floated toward the city. He turned to Prompto, and he found the blond looking out the windows with his eyes wide and his mouth forming a small “o.”

“This is the highest place a human can get to in the Citadel,” Noctis said, “without warping.”

Prompto went up to the window, fogging up the glass with his breath, and he looked down at the city below them. They were so high up that even some taller buildings looked small.

“Whoa,” Prompto said.

“You like it?”

“Dude, this is amazing! You can see so much of the city! And the stars! I can see more of the stars up here.”

Noctis sat on the very unromantic bench in front of the window, and he could not help but smile as he watched Prompto enjoy the view. He pulled out his cell phone to take a quick shot of the beautiful face Prompto made.

Ignis would be annoyed with him for taking photo evidence of him breaking the rules, but the sheer joy Prompto was expressing was more than enough to justify his actions at the moment.

“And we’re right next to the beam, aren’t we?” Prompto asked as he craned his neck to look up at it.

“Yeah, I can feel it through my body.”

Prompto jerked his attention to Noctis, face falling into worry.

“Really? Does it bother you?”

“No, no, it’s fine. Just a little weird at first. It used to bother me more as a kid, but even then it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Oh, okay.”

Prompto’s eyes lingered on Noctis’s for a moment longer before he turned back to the window.

“Man, I wish they had let me bring in my camera,” Prompto said.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. They get really paranoid about that kind of stuff. You can borrow my phone if you want. It won’t look as good, but it’s better than nothing.”

Prompto grinned at him, and he motioned for Noctis to stand with him. Noctis gave him his phone, and Prompto turned them so their backs were to the window. They each wrapped an arm around each other’s waists, and just before Prompto snapped a picture of them, he pressed a kiss to Noctis’s cheek. When they reviewed the photo, Noctis felt his chest grow warm.

“This is probably my favorite new picture of us,” Prompto said, voice soft as he gazed at it. “You look so happy.”

“That’s because I’m with you.”

“Aww, cheesy.”

Prompto chuckled. He kissed Noctis on the cheek again, and he plopped down on the bench.

“So, what’s the point in this place?” Prompto asked.

“I don’t know,” Noctis said as he joined Prompto on the bench, “and I don’t think they finished. You can go look at the beam, but it’s super dangerous. You could fall off if you’re not careful. It’s why we’re technically not supposed to be up here.”

“Wha—Really?”

“Yeah, Specs and I used to get in trouble for it when we were kids.”

“You and _Specs_? As in Ignis Scientia?”

“He was only six years old when we started hanging out together, you know. He didn’t exactly know how to be a responsible babysitter yet. Well, he still lets me get away with stuff, actually.”

“But he’s so proper now. It’s hard to imagine.”

“Yeah, he’s taking his role as my hand a lot more seriously these days.”

To distract Prompto from the boring conversation, Noctis pressed himself close to Prompto’s side, and then he summoned a bottle from his Armiger. Prompto jumped at the flash of blue light and sound of tinkling glass, but when the bottle plopped into Noctis’s hand, he leaned closer to take a good look at it.

“Rum?” he read aloud.

“Yeah, I grabbed some from the kitchens when no one was looking. It’s supposed to go in the eggnog, but _ick_. Eggnog’s gross.”

“Dude, isn’t this a little hard for our first time drinking?”

“It’s not _my_ first time drinking.”

“Your dad giving you a sip of wine doesn’t count.”

“Whatever. This is supposed to be a romantic date, okay? It took a lot of planning.”

Prompto giggled as Noctis pouted at him.

“Okay, okay, consider me romanced,” the blond said.

Noctis ducked his head, his cheeks turning red, but he kept trying. He summoned two cups, which he placed next to him, and then he called one can of coffee to hand.

“Oooh, is that one of Ignis’s?” Prompto said.

“Yeah, it’s full of sugar, so I didn’t think he’d miss it too much.”

“I hope not. He scares me sometimes.”

Noctis poured a generous amount of coffee into the cups, and then he poured just a splash on the rum to top it off. After sending the empty can of coffee to his Armiger, he held one cup in both of his hands, and he summoned fire magic, holding it back as far as he could so that only the contents of the cup warmed. As soon as he saw steam rising from the cup, he stopped the magic, and he held it out to Prompto with a grin.

Prompto did look impressed.

“Nice,” he said as he took the cup from him. “Are sure this’ll be good?”

“No.”

Prompto shrugged one shoulder, and he brought the cup to his lips. Noctis busied himself with warming up his own drink.

“I’m not sure what it’s supposed to taste like, but it’s not bad,” Prompto said.

“Really?” Noctis asked, and he took a sip. “Not the worst thing I’ve had.”

The two of them sipped their drinks as they stared out at the city, talking school things occasionally but mostly game things. Noctis made them another warm drink, deciding to be a little more generous with the rum this time. It was enough to feel a pleasant warmth settle in his body. After a while, Prompto’s cheeks flushed from the alcohol, making his freckles stand out more starkly.

“You’re cute,” Noctis blurted.

“No, I’m not. You’re cute.”

“But you’re cuter.”

“Stop, man.”

“It’s true. You’re absolutely adorable and incredibly sexy.”

“How much have you really had to drink?”

“I think that all the time. No alcohol needed.”

Prompto giggled, his face turning even redder.

Noctis swooped down and captured Prompto’s lips with his own. The blond melted into the kiss, pressing a hand to Noctis’s chest, and to Noctis’s surprise, he pressed his tongue to Noctis’s lips.

Without considering the consequences of such an action, Noctis dropped his cup, which still had a little of the rum and coffee mixture, into the Armiger, and he rested his hands on Prompto’s shoulders, sliding one up to cup Prompto’s cheek.

The two of them had never had such a heated kiss before. Most of their kisses had been chaste and sweet, an expression of adoration but never asking for much more, but now they were eagerly giving and taking more from each other. It was without a doubt the rum that helped them find the courage to explore more of each other, but it was also a good thing they had not drunk so much that they would go further than either of them were ready to go.

Prompto set his cup next to him on the bench, and he wrapped both of his arms around Noctis’s shoulders, pressing him closer for a deeper kiss. It made Noctis’s heart pound in his chest, and he—

Noctis heard a throat clearing, one that was unmistakably Ignis’s, and he jerked away from Prompto, eyes growing wide as he found his adviser standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. With a squeak, Prompto withdrew from Noctis and slid away, knocking his cup onto the floor. There had been little of the drink left, but some of it splattered on the bench.

“Gah! Sorry!” Prompto cried as stood to get away from the liquid before it got onto him.

“Hey, Ignis,” Noctis said, voice a little higher pitched. “Didn’t expect to see you up here.”

“I would have guessed not,” Ignis said, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

Ignis pulled out his handkerchief from his suit’s pocket, and he wiped up the mess that Prompto had made. Noctis’s mouth became dry as it sunk in that Ignis had caught him making out with Prompto—with a boy that no one had known he was dating.

“I apologize for intruding,” Ignis said, “but I’m afraid it’s time for Prompto to leave. Everyone was starting to get worried. Luckily, this was the first place I thought to look when I realized you were missing from your room, Noctis.”

Ignis picked up Prompto’s cup, and he sent it into Noctis’s Armiger.

“Shall we escort Prompto to his parents?” he asked. “They’re waiting for him in the ballroom.”

Noctis and Prompto followed Ignis into the elevator. The older teenager adjusted their suits on the way down. Prompto kept giving Noctis worried glances. A sinking feeling settled in Noctis’s stomach.

He was not worried because he thought Ignis would not approve of his relationship with Prompto. The two of them had known each other for as long as Noctis could remember, but it was technically forbidden for Noctis, especially as the sole heir of the throne, to engage in a relationship with someone of the same sex as him because it was expected of him to produce heirs of his own someday. There was also the possibility of an arranged marriage that Noctis would have no say-so in.

They reached their floor, and the walk to the ballroom felt exceptionally long to Noctis. Mr. and Mrs. Argentum gave them drunken smiles as they approached. A smirking Crownsguard stood near them, ready to escort them to the car that Prompto would definitely be driving.

“There you are, Prompto!” Mrs. Argentum said as she pulled her son in for a hug.

It was weird saying goodbye to Prompto with just a punch to his shoulder when they had just been making out a few minutes ago. Noctis watched them leave, and then he sheepishly turned to Ignis, who was smirking at him.

“Worried that I’ll tell someone about your relationship to Prompto, Your Highness?” he said in a teasing tone.

Noctis felt his cheeks heat, and he could not meet his adviser’s eyes.

“I never meant for anyone to find out,” he admitted. “Not until later.”

“Well, your secret is safe with me, Noctis. I’ve no intention of telling someone something so personal about you.”

Relief flooded through Noctis, and he could not stop himself from throwing his arms around Ignis. His adviser gasped from surprise, but after a moment, he wrapped his arms around Noctis.

“Thank you,” Noctis said. “I just want to have a nice time with Prompto while I still can.”

“And I have no desire to spoil that for you.”

Noctis pulled away, feeling much lighter than he had when he had entered the room, and with one final “Good night” to Ignis, he made the long, long journey to his chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't expect this fic to go in the direction it did. It was just supposed to be the boys getting caught drinking, but I ended up making more romantic and way longer. I wish I had waited to start posting it. It could have done with a more thorough edit.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


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